Whether you’ve been super busy with your many commitments or just too tired to lace up your sneakers, how do you get back in the swing of things if you haven’t exercised in weeks? Forget the excuses – it’s time to focus on getting your booty back on that workout wagon. Two weeks without exercising is long enough to reduce your aerobic endurance and muscle strength, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a short break, so you’ll be able to bounce back quickly enough.

Smaller muscles, such as your biceps and triceps, will be weaker, but your larger muscles, such as your glutes, hamstrings and quads, will still have much of their original strength. So on your first day back at the gym, focus on these muscles and perform lunges and squats. Incorporate cardio exercises that use these muscles as well, like jumping on and off of a step bench or running up a flight of stairs. This will help you become reacquainted with raising your heart rate without the struggle of training muscles that are significantly weaker.

Also incorporate weight-lifting exercises that use free weights and dumbbells, as opposed to the weight machines. Exercises with free weights require you to use all the muscles in your body as stabilizers, which will help you regain your strength and get back in shape. And to jump-start your metabolism, which will be slower after a two-week break, try interval training. Remember that it’s OK to take an occasional break from working out, but try not to miss more than one day whenever possible.

Make exercise a non-negotiable commitment – schedule it into your day planner if you have to – and you’ll never forgo your workouts again.